My last appeal to table focusing

Interpret this post as you wish, but it is honestly just a post from someone who *really* likes the room and would like to stay playing there but is being put off by the software. More specifically, by one feature of the software.

I've posted before, never got a clear answer from 888 itself. Not that they owe me or anything, but... I'd like it.

I have been playing there for a few months, and I like it overall. It's not perfect of course, and I would put as the second biggest flaw the fact that no real/substantive rakeback is available. That spoils any really serious grinding. The third biggest flaw is the bonuses (which could "act as" rakeback) take forever to clear.

BUT the largest flaw is: table focus when is our turn to act. More than that, table focus when WE POST A BLIND (why on earth?).

Really, I've tried to play 6+ tables, no can do. 5 is the utmost limit. The only way to play 6 or more tables, imo, is: 1) don't take notes on opponents; 2) don't try to type in precise bet sizes (use the bet sliding bar, big blind increments).

It would be funny if not frustrated how many times I've sent pieces of player notes over the chat. Why? Because I'm typing a note on a player and, suddenly, the focus goes right to the chat box of a table I (automatically) posted the blind on; then as I finish typing (as quick as I can, for obvious reasons) the note and press enter, the last characters are typed in the chat box instead of player note box, and with the enter the chat message is sent.

Like said, that would be just funny. But try playing six 6max tables. Honestly, you are ALWAYS posting a blind! On top of the blinds, quite often it will be your turn on one of the tables. Then it's impossible to type a player note, becase EVERY time you bring the player note window your cursor will jump right back to the chat box of some of the tables.

Ok, ok, let's try to live without player notes (big fail). Then when it's my turn to check-raise an opponent, I think about the raise size, click on the betting box and try to type the ammount. No avail, because my cursor jumps right to another table where is my turn so I type the bet amount on the chat box there. So I click back to the first table (and mind that now I have the clock running on TWO decisions), type the amount REAL quick, but as I press enter my cursor jumped right to a third table where my blind was automatically posted.

It's not uncommon for me to have 3 or 4 clocks running at the same time and I can't do anything about any of them (except clicking the fold/call/raise buttons) because there is not enough time to type in a bet size before the cursor is brought to a different table's chat box.

You must be asking now: "why on earth do you chose chat box focus then? Why not bet slider focus?".

Reason is simple: because it has happened that I was typing a note on a player and, right before I pressed enter, it was my turn to act on some table. Focus was stolen from the notes window to that table's betting buttons and, as I pressed ender, I actually mini-raised my opponent (enter=raise/bet) without any holding whatsoever.

Sorry, this is all frustrating and unacceptable, and even when playing 5 tables it adds A LOT to the stress/concentration while muntitabling, because often I'm found in stressful situations having to click all over just to type in a note or a bet size while chatboxes all over attract my cursor while the software post blinds.

Now that the month is over I will stop grinding there. I really don't want to, like said; I like the rest of the software, now I'm getting to know well the field of the stakes I play at, etc. My account is tracked to poker strategy and that is good too.

Anyway, I know clients/players come an go. At least in my case, you know you had a player that liked your platform enough to take the time and write about why he is leaving. And you will know why he left.

Honestly, as other players have said here as well, this simple simple feature is making you lose tons of rake income. I can comfortably play 8-10 tables on party poker or stars, and I even played 12 tables on full tilt, no problem whatsoever. But I can't play 6 with you guys and it is a hassle to play 5. That's a shame.

Don't care for the rakeback, because the lack of it makes the games softer (i.e. less regulars/grinders). But I have to fully agree that a few simple changes would make the site a lot more attractive and bearable.

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by darkod80: 01.11.2011 23:08.

m8,there are always reload bonuses which count as 20% rakeback.I am playing there since February and have all the time been clearing some reload bonus ,so for 8 months non stop I have 20% rakeback + 2 or 4 % for having bronze or silver status on 888.It is less than 30% which you can find on many networks but is not that bad considering there are a lot of fish on 888 especially ion micro stakes .
Regarding your problem with taking notes,why don't you simply make notes on your holdem manager?It is much easier than making them on 888 software. I am very carefull note taker and have to say that did not find it hard to make notes on my holdem manager.
Regarding your problems when 'typing amounts' to bet why don't you try using mouse wheel and scroll the amount you want to bet?This option makes is easy to make bets. I am playing 6,7 tables ,taking notes and beting easy and find 888 software one of the best on the market. Only thing that is bothering me is hand replayer. I find ipoker hand history the best and the easiest to see what happened ,much easier than watching how hand go. What I also hate about 888 is their suppport which is outrageous.It would also be nice if there was an option to remove caht box completely.
Best of luck at the tables.

Regarding your problem with taking notes,why don't you simply make notes on your holdem manager?It is much easier than making them on 888 software. I am very carefull note taker and have to say that did not find it hard to make notes on my holdem manager.

This one works for me too, even tho if ya're not familiar using hem for notes , just a open a txt file , it wont steal the focus , so ya can just copy it asap into the note box .

Only thing that is bothering me is hand replayer. I find ipoker hand history the best and the easiest to see what happened ,much easier than watching how hand go.

@darkod80
If ya're used to hem by taking notes and stuff , just use it as a hand replayer also , ya just click on the pot ya wanna see what what happened , and can check it instantly without watching the replay of the hand or clicking the next button 600 times, hem has the best replayer ever.

Originally posted by darkod80
m8,there are always reload bonuses which count as 20% rakeback.I am playing there since February and have all the time been clearing some reload bonus ,so for 8 months non stop I have 20% rakeback + 2 or 4 % for having bronze or silver status on 888.It is less than 30% which you can find on many networks but is not that bad considering there are a lot of fish on 888 especially ion micro stakes .

Are you sure their bonus is that much? I do have an active bonus; however, it takes forever to clear. I used to clear bonus on Party Poker super-duper easy. Of course, the fact I could play more than 4 or 5 tables helped there, but still.

Originally posted by darkod80
Regarding your problem with taking notes,why don't you simply make notes on your holdem manager?It is much easier than making them on 888 software. I am very carefull note taker and have to say that did not find it hard to make notes on my holdem manager.

I use PT3 and really do not like the notes system on PT3. It may seem silly, but the note icon on the HUD is just huge. Then in order to multitable tiled (especially like me, with a 19') you need a tiny HUD. So can't use notes on PT3 as it takes a LOT of table space.

And I don't dislike 888's note system at all; on the contrary, I quite like it, except the fact that it loses focus ALL THE TIME.

Originally posted by darkod80
Regarding your problems when 'typing amounts' to bet why don't you try using mouse wheel and scroll the amount you want to bet?This option makes is easy to make bets. I am playing 6,7 tables ,taking notes and beting easy and find 888 software one of the best on the market.

Mouse scroll here doesn't work. Yes, mouse scroll IS a blessing; when I grinded Cake on helped A LOT here; same on Stars or Party. But it doesn't work on 888. I've tried posting here and asking support, no response besides the fact that it *might* help setting the "focus on bet slider" option instead of "focus on chatbox". But then there is the problem of making wrong raises because the table (wrongly) steals focus, so between not having mouse scroll and making wrong min-raises and all-ins, I chose the former.

Lastly, even with the scrolling, 888 only has (as far as I know) big blind increments when scrolling. That's just to big to be precise betting; 1/2 blind are much better and would help a whole lot, but still, there are situations in which I just want to type a precise bet. But yeah, a good mouse scroll would help a lot.

Originally posted by darkod80
Only thing that is bothering me is hand replayer. I find ipoker hand history the best and the easiest to see what happened ,much easier than watching how hand go.

As imbahness said, I use PT3's replayer so, for me, that's really not an issue. Don't know how it works on HM though.

Originally posted by darkod80
What I also hate about 888 is their suppport which is outrageous.It would also be nice if there was an option to remove caht box completely.
Best of luck at the tables.

To be honest, I hear lots of people complaining about their support and that scares me quite a bit. However, personally I only needed the support twice, and both times they were fast and kind, and they solved my problem.

@imbahness - never thought about the notepad. I'll give it a try if I keep playing there. It's not ideal of course, as I keep the date and stakes already "copied" just to paste it on some notes; if I copy the whole note, that will need a workaround for the workaround. But well...

I have to agree that the complete lack of a table queing system is the worst thing about 888. The tables are delightfully soft but not being able to play more than 4 at a time is frustrating. Before they updated their software last year I could play 10 tables there (8 cash and 2 tournies), but now playing more than 4 is just too frustrating.

If they could get this sorted they would be probably the best platform out there (IMHO).

Their support could only suggest that I download the old software and use that !!

I never tried as I play tournies sometimes and the new software has a much better tournie lobby. As usual the email seems to have been written by somebody for whom English is not their first language. I have found that this language barrier has been one of my main issues with their support. They rarely seem to appreciate or properly understand what I am saying.

Originally posted by ilrasso
settings > game setting uncheck "when its my turn to play: []pop up the game window" Should stop the game from moving cursor when its your turn on other table...

I would also love rakeback. Bonus system on 888 is a joke compared to fultilt...

Bizarrely, unchecking "pop up the game window" does not help at all for me. As a matter of fact, since I have them tiled I've always had it unchecked.

Sure enough the tables don't "pop up"; however, the cursor is still brought to either chatbox or betting slider of the table in action (which is not only the table in action but also all of which we post our blinds at).

Why on earth their software does that is what beats me. I can't understand, is one of those things that my low IQ struggles with and simple does not get.

As for the rakeback... well, yeah, of course some extra $ would be good, but indeed I agree with previous comments: too good of a bonus/rakeback system = reg infestation.

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by darkod80: 03.11.2011 10:14.

They always have some reload bonuses.2 weeks ago I got email from them about 200% reload bonus up to $300 so deposited $150 and have $300 pending bonus, last week there was 'halloween ' instant bonus-deposited $100 and got $30. Every month you can find bonus codes on pokerstrategy 888 forum for relaod bonus and it is usually up to $200 100% deposit bonus. For every 100 points( $50 of rake) you get $10 released which is 20%. Most of poker rooms have 20% or less first or reload deposit bonus. Since there are reload bonuses on 888 almost every month it is practically same as having 20% rakeback+ additional 2% if you are bronze or 4% if you are silver status.
In April it was APRIL150 code,in May SPRING150,in July and August it was HOT150. It may not seem too much but if you're playing up to 15/30c it's good deposit bonus imo.

Originally posted by imbahness
This one works for me too, even tho if ya're not familiar using hem for notes , just a open a txt file , it wont steal the focus , so ya can just copy it asap into the note box .

This is actually true and helps, thank you. It has it's minor setbacks but helps indeed.

Now I have to test if actually typing the bet sizes in notepad and copy/pasting them is better than typing directly into the bet box.

Just today I had to type in a 3bet size. Couldn't do it: the cursor was dragged to other tables ridiculous 4 times before I could type the amount; I had my fingers already on the right keys, but still I wasn't fast enough between the click on the bet box and another table stealing focus. Eventually I gave up and clicked the slider (BB increments) to a size different than what I wanted but hey, that's better than a timeout.